A Kiss From an Angel
by Kitsune Moonstar
Summary: Thirty stories for Sephiroth and Aeris for the thirty kisses challenge.
1. Gentle Waves

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game. Theme 1: Sand.

* * *

><p><strong>Gentle Waves<strong>

Sephiroth wasn't entirely sure where he was. He actually couldn't remember the last time his head was this clear though. Actually, he couldn't remember a lot of things. His memories appeared to be there, though they seemed rather obscured at the moment. He didn't focus on that right now though, more concerned about figure out where he was and what he was doing here.

It appeared to be a beach of some sort, complete with sand. Of course, the water lapping at the shore was green, but he was sure there were stranger things. And he wasn't alone. Sephiroth had been aware of the young woman standing nearby, but she wasn't much of a threat to him. She was barefoot and dressed in a pink dress, and Sephiroth knew her. It was the Cetra girl. He had killed her. He did remember that, though not clearly. So if she was dead, what was she doing here?

Unless, of course, he was dead too. That was always a possibility. In fact, that made more sense than anything else. Though this was not what he had been expecting from death. He turned his attention to her.

"Where are we?" he asked.

The girl, Aeris, just shrugged. She walked toward him coming to stand next to him on the shore. It was an odd silence. Actually, the whole situation was odd. Then she smiled at him and slid her hand into his. That was also an odd sensation, but Sephiroth couldn't find it in him to pull away.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where this is or what this is," she admitted. "Somewhere in the Lifestream would be my guess. I just know that it's were we are for now. I rather think that the Planet is trying to give me a chance to relax. I love the sound of the sea. It's so soothing. I knew where my path would lead from the start, Sephiroth. I may have accepted it by the end, but that doesn't mean it wasn't difficult. I guess the Planet thought I could use some time and space before whatever comes next. Since you're here too, I'd say the Planet thought the same about you."

He just stared at her. His memories weren't exactly clear, but he was pretty sure that he had killed her and tried to destroy the planet. He wasn't sure why the Planet would be doing him any favors. However, Aeris was still talking.

"Or the Planet could be curious to see what you're like without Jenova in your head. Who knows? Even I don't understand the Planet half the time." Then her smile became mischievous. "Or maybe you're just here to keep me from getting bored."

Sephiroth arched an eyebrow at her. "My afterlife is keeping you from being bored?"

The little grin that kissed her lips widened. "It's an idea."

Sephiroth just shook his head. Well, whatever else, the afterlife was proving to be interesting.


	2. Beginning Ties

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is slightly AU and set before the game. Theme 17: Truce.

* * *

><p><strong>Beginning Ties<strong>

Sephiroth was used to the lab. He had lived her most of his life after all, and he spent all of his time when he was not training here. He had quickly learned to keep an eye on changes in the lab. They typically did not mean good things for him. Changes often meant that Hojo had some new test he wanted to do. But this change wasn't like any of the others. There was a little girl in the lab.

She was in one of the holding cells, curled up on a cot. There was a glass of water in the room that was untouched. That was smart of her. Drugging whatever he gave you was one of Hojo's preferred methods. She was younger than he was by several years. Her hair was soft brown and long, and she had bright green eyes like his own. They weren't the same shade as his own eyes, but Sephiroth had never met anyone else with green eyes before. He also had never seen someone around his age in the lab before. Since there was no one else around currently, Sephiroth felt comfortable enough walking up to the holding cell and speaking to her.

"What are you doing here?"

She blinked her green eyes at him and titled her head to the side. "I don't really know. The mean man in the white coat put me in here. He scares me."

"That means you're smart enough to recognize danger." Sephiroth was still frowning. "How did you get here?"

The girl frowned. "Two men in suits grabbed me when I was at the market with Mommy. I don't remember what happened after that. Then I woke up, and I was in here with the man in the white coat."

The Turks had probably grabbed her and drugged her then. Sephiroth wasn't sure why Hojo would want a little girl, but he didn't care much about what Hojo wanted.

"What are you doing here?" the girl asked.

Sephiroth shrugged. "I live here."

"You live here? I'm sorry." Her eyes were wide. "I'm Aeris."

"Sephiroth."

He studied her for a few moments. Since she was here, that probably meant that Hojo wanted to do tests on her. No one deserved to be Hojo's test subject. Sephiroth certainly hated it. This girl was younger than him, and she probably had no idea what she would be facing. Plus it sounded like Aeris still had family members alive. Sephiroth was considering his options. He could get her out of here. It wouldn't be that hard. He could actually get himself out of here if he ever put effort into it. The problem he faced was that once he left the lab, Sephiroth had no place to go and resources to help him survive. But that wasn't the case for Aeris. She had someplace to go.

That decided him. Aeris has someplace else to go, and he wasn't going to let her end up another one of Hojo's victims. Besides, Sephiroth didn't really mind the idea of making Hojo unhappy. He set to work on the control panel that kept her locked in the cell. Within a few minutes he had it figured out, and it didn't take him long to convince the thing to short circuit which unlocks her cell. Pulling open the door, he looks at her.

"Come on. We don't have that much time."

Aeris just stares at him, eyes wide and slightly wary. Sephiroth didn't exactly blame her. He wasn't sure he would trust any one who offered him an escape from this place either. Still, they didn't have a lot of time to pull this off, and if she stalled for too long, she wasn't going to get out of here at all.

"I might live here, but I don't like Hojo either. Come on. Let's get you out of there." He held out his hand to her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She considered him for a moment before coming to a decision, reaching out, and taking his hand. Clearly she had decided that a truce with him was a safe enough option than staying where she was or trying to go it alone. Holding tight to her hand, Sephiroth led her through the maze of the lab. The easiest thing would be to get Aeris to the nearest train platform. From there she should be able to get back to whatever part of Midgar she came from.

Sephiroth was pleased to find that Aeris remained quiet and followed carefully behind him. He knew these hallways and their inhabitants, so it was easy enough to keep out of sight. However, had Aeris made herself more of a distraction it might have been a problem. In fact, Sephiroth was a little suspicious about just how easy this was, but he wasn't going to complain. And there were several close calls. But finally the two children arrived at their destination.

"Can you get home on your own from here?" Sephiroth asked.

Aeris nodded. "Yes. Are you going to go back?"

He nodded. It wasn't like he had any place else to go, and he wasn't sure he could realistically survive on his own right now. She frowned at him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Aeris sighed. "All right."

"Take care."

She nodded. Then Aeris pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Seph."

He watched her board the train and wondered if they'd ever meet again.


	3. Two AM Calls

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set before the game. Theme 18: Salvation.

* * *

><p><strong>Two AM Calls<strong>

Sephiroth was used to late night/early morning calls. They came with the job of general. That didn't mean he was happy to get such calls. He grabbed the ringing PHP.

"Hello?"

"Hello? I'm sorry to bother you, but Zack said to call this number."

Sephiroth blinked. The voice was female. "Who is this?"

"Aeris. Aeris Gainsborough," came the reply. "I'm a friend of Zack's."

"Where are you?" he asked.

There was a noise at the other end of the line, and then Zack's voice came across.

"Seph, you wo't beweive what I manged to-"

He was cut off.

"Hello?" Aeris' voice was back. "I'm sorry about that. Zack is really drunk."

"Where are you?"

"Sector Two jail," came the prompt reply.

"Is Reno there?"

"No, thank goodness."

"All right. I'll be there to pick you up in about twenty minutes.

So, Zack was in jail. Again. At least Reno wasn't involved this time. That was a good sign. And he had managed to get some girl thrown in jail with him. Sephiroth sighed and reached for his pants. How did he get stuck picking his men up from jail again? At least he didn't have to deal with the Turks as well this time. Not that he minded Tseng, but Reno was a pain.

It didn't take him long to get dressed and head out to catch the train. Sadly, Sephiroth was familiar with the routine of picking someone up from jail. Zack was a good soldier, but off duty he seemed to be something of a trouble magnet. Sephiroth wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know just what Zack had gotten into this time around. He was, however, seriously considering killing Zack. That might solve some problems.

Thankfully, the staff at the Sector Two Jail were sufficiently impressed that the Sephiroth was there that they didn't give him any trouble and immediately took him to the holding cells. Sephiroth had no trouble picking out which one held Zack and Aeris. Aeris was the only person in the place who didn't look like she belonged there. The young woman was not what he had expected. She was a petite little thing dressed in pink, and she had startlingly green eyes. She was also much younger than he had expected, probably in her late teens. Still, she was very poised for someone both her age and in her situation, and at least the idiots here had put her and Zack in a cell that was separate from the rest of prisoners.

She looked up when he entered and did a quick double take. Clearly Zack hadn't told her just who she was calling when he gave her Sephiroth's number. She offered him a shy little smile and rose to her feet.

"General Sephiroth? I'm sorry about this." She smiled apologetically at him.

He just shook his head. "Comes with the territory."

Zack finally noticed that he was there. "Hey, loook, its Sephroth and 'is frouwny fashce."

Sephiroth sighed. Zack was drunk as a skunk. He turned his attention back to Aeris.

"How did you get stuck with him?"

Aeris laughed. "Zack's a friend of mine. He drops by every once in awhile when he's in town, and this time he insisted on dragging me out for 'some fun'. I have a rather different idea of fun, but my mother thinks it's a good idea if I go out and socialize with people around my own age."

"You apparently have the sense not to get drunk."

She shrugged. "I tend to stick to water. Technically, I am underage, even if no one pays attention to that."

At his raised eyebrow, she shrugged again. "I'm seventeen."

Zack really should know better than to drag seventeen year olds to bars, but this one time Sephiroth wasn't going to complain.

"You two should be released in a few minutes. I'll just need to fill out the paperwork."

"Thank you."

Sephiroth smiled. "Not a problem. Is someone coming to pick you up?"

Aeris shook her head. That struck Sephiroth as a little odd, but he let it pass. He turned to the official beside him and requested the necessary paperwork. It took very little time to fill out, and one man hurried to open Aeris and Zack's cell while another went to fetch their personal effects. Within five minutes all three of them were free to go. Thankfully, the jail staff was willing to provide a bag for Zack's things, which was helpful since Sephiroth had the feeling that he would be carrying Zack most of the way back to the barracks. The only personal effects returned to Aeris were a staff and a small coin purse which she tucked into a pocket. Sephiroth shouldered most of Zack's weight as they stepped outside the jail.

"Will you be all right getting home?" he asked her.

Aeris nodded, her grip tightening on her staff. "I'll be fine.

"It was a pleasure to meet you despite the circumstances."

'You too." She pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the rescue, Sephiroth."

"It's not a problem, Aeris."

He watched her disappear into the night, intrigued. If he ran into some like her every time he had to save one of his men from their own folly, it might be worth the aggravation. Then he turned his attention to dragging Zack home.


	4. Setting Sail

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set before the game. Theme 4: Maiden Voyage.

* * *

><p><strong>Setting Sail<strong>

Sephiroth had to admit to being very intrigued by Aeris Gainsborough. Despite having met her only once and rather briefly, there was something about the young woman that drew him in. He had waited until Zack was sober after his little adventure to ask about the young lady. Once Zack had recovered from his hangover, his subordinate was more than willing to talk about the woman in question.

However, while Zack did have some answers, Sephiroth quickly found that he didn't have many of the details he wanted to know. And Zack's information led to more questions. Apparently, Aeris lived with her mother in the slums of Midgar. She grew flowers there and sold them to help make ends meet. Sephiroth was baffled how she could grow anything in Midagar's slums let alone flowers pretty enough to sell. And it simply intrigued him all the more.

So there really was only one solution. After getting the location of Aeris' garden from Zack, Sephiroth set off to pay her a visit. It was not his maiden voyage into the depths of Midgar, but it was the first time he had actually sought someone out there. Despite Zack's directions, he managed to find the church without too much trouble. The moment he stepped inside he was almost overwhelmed by the amount of plant life. This was not what he had expected when Zack had told him that Aeris grew flowers. A little well tended plot, yes, a veritable nursery, no. He didn't thing he had ever seen this many flowers in Midgar before.

Aeris looked up at his entrance. She was up to her elbows in dirt as she appeared to be in the middle of transplanting starts from pots into the ground.

"Hello, General."

He nodded. "Miss Gainsborough."

"What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

Sephiroth shrugged slightly, not quite sure how to explain himself. Saying that she had interested him the one time they'd met, and he wanted to satisfy his curiosity about her might not be the best way to start a conversation. He settled on an acceptable explanation. "Zack mentioned you grew flowers. I found it hard to believe. This is rather amazing."

Aeris shrugged. "I have a green thumb, and I like gardening."

"Still, this is very impressive. Have you always had an interest in gardening?"

"For as long as I can remember. I've always loved growing things. What about you, General? Any hobbies?"

"You mean besides rescuing my people from jails?"

"Surely that's not a hobby," Aeris laughed.

"It happens often enough." Sephiroth gingerly sat down a pew. "Zack thinks I should get a hobby. Of course, I'm not quite sure at times if his is the best advice to follow."

Aeris grinned as she reached for another pot. "I can understand that. He does have a knack for finding trouble, doesn't he? I love him like a brother. An obnoxious, irresponsible little brother, but life would be a little more boring without him."

"True enough. How did you meet him?"

They continued chatting as Aeris carefully tended her flower beds, watering her freshly transplanted starts and weeding. Sephiroth liked her more than he had expected to. Aeris was something special, even if she might not think so. He felt very at ease with her which was quite unusual. There were very few people he felt comfortable spending time with, and most of them had taken time to reach that level. He had been comfortable with Aeris in the space of a few minutes. She was also very welcoming of him, and that wasn't usual for Sephiroth. Most people felt uncomfortable in his presence. Aeris was slightly shy and a little wary, but she wasn't afraid of him, and she treated him like a normal person for the most part.

He genuinely liked her. That was also rare for Sephiroth. There were very few people he actually liked. Zack, Tseng, and Reeve were most of them. Aeris was different from anyone else he'd ever met though. She would seem like a like a very open person to most, but Sephiroth caught slight hesitations and her self editing. They mostly centered on her past and her background. She was oddly intuitive at times as well. She seemed to instinctively know which subjects to shy away from as they talked, leaving things like his background and origins alone. She never pressed for answers either.

When he finally left later that afternoon, Sephiroth found himself carrying several irises, and he was unable to keep a smile from kissing his lips. And Sephiroth found he was looking forward to seeing her again.


	5. Lifeline

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set before the game. Theme 5: Boat.

* * *

><p><strong>Lifeline<strong>

Sephiroth rarely went to Hojo's labs except when ordered to. He had been very pleased when he'd been permanently moved out of the lab. While he did still have to make visits for tests at times, Sephiroth could avoid both Hojo and his lab most of the time anymore. So he wasn't entirely sure why he had wandered down to the lab today. He had no reason to be here. Hojo had not requested his presence for any tests, and quite frankly he wasn't the type for idle curiosity. Still, this was where his feet had taken him.

He was glad they had the second he spotted the test subject in the holding cell. She was huddled in the back of her cell, but Sephiroth knew immediately who she was. Her pink dress was rather distinctive. Besides, he knew Aeris well enough now to recognize her without seeing her face. Sephiroth would pity any of Hojo's test subjects. He had been one himself, and it was a fate he wouldn't wish on his enemies. And he certainly wouldn't let someone he actually liked suffer it. Hojo was not keeping her. Sephiroth would see to that.

"Aeris." Startled green eyes met his own.

Sephiroth smiled. "Come here. You're leaving."

It was easy enough for him to get the cell open. That was actually going to be the easiest part of this. Even he couldn't go around brazenly freeing Hojo's test subjects. However, Sephiroth knew some people who would be willing to help him. First though, he wanted to get Aeris out of the lab. She did not look at all well. It didn't look like Hojo had really gotten started with his experiments, but even his preliminary tests could be uncomfortable.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she got to her feet.

Sephiroth frowned when he saw how unsteady her steps were. "This is the ShinRa building. I live here. What about you?"

Aeris made a face. "Wrong place at the wrong time. I was careless. I typically avoid any place there are ShinRa employees hanging around unless they're off duty Turks."

At his look, she clarified. "Well, they might have a standing order to capture me for Hojo, but if they're not on duty, they do tend to ignore that. Tseng and Reno are actually the ones who taught me to fight."

He filed that information along with the fact that Hojo had a standing order to capture her. That explained some things about Aeris. And it gave Tseng another reason to help them. Sephiroth wrapped an arm around her shoulders to help steady her and reactivated closed the holding cell back up. It wouldn't hurt, and knowing Tseng, Sephiroth wouldn't be surprised if the Turk arranged things so that it appeared that Aeris had just disappeared into thin air.

"Has Hojo hurt you?"

Aeris shook her head. "Not yet. I haven't been here very long. He came and gloated then went to lunch."

"Good. Stay close and try not to attract too much attention."

Aeris arched an eyebrow at him. "Because I'm sure that you walk around the halls of the ShinRa building with young women all the time, and it doesn't attract any attention."

Sephiroth chucked. "Well, attention besides that."

The halls of the building were actually quite deserted, but then again, it was the lunch hour. Sephiroth managed to keep himself between Aeris and the few people they passed along the way, and they made it to Tseng's office without incident. Tseng looked up from a desk full of paperwork as they entered and arched an eyebrow at the pair of them.

"Hello, Aeris."

She grinned at him. "Hey, Tseng."

"What can I do for you?"

"We were not here nor did you help us conceal her escape from Hojo's lab." Sephiroth replied.

The Turk blinked then asked. "What escape? I didn't know that Hojo had any new test subjects. There's nothing in the records or surveillance footage. "

Sephiroth smiled. "Exactly.

Tseng just smiled back. Sephiroth was well aware that the Turk never minded causing problems for Hojo as long as he wasn't caught at it. Actually, none of the Turks liked Hojo. Of course, that could have to do with the mysterious disappearance of a Turk guarding one of Hojo's scientists a number of years back. Or it could simply be that the Turks agreed that Hojo was a cretin and weren't interested in helping him beyond what they were ordered to do. Either way, it was helpful for Sephiroth.

"Thanks, Tseng."

Sephiroth led Aeris back through the halls and up to one of the residential levels of the ShinRa building. Hojo would kick up a fuss as soon as he realized that Aeris was gone, and instead of worrying about escaping the furor over Aeris' disappearance, Sephiroth decided it would be better to simply wait it out. He rather doubted that anyone would come looking for her in his suite. He unlocked the door to his quarters and ushered her inside.

"We'll wait until the search dies down before slipping out, and I'll take you home." He strode towards the kitchenette. "Would you like something to drink?"  
>"A glass of water would be lovely."<p>

Aeris sat down on the couch that was stretched out in front of one of the windows. Sephiroth did have to admit that he enjoyed his view. He watched her as he poured the glass of water. She seemed a little uneasy. Sephiroth could understand that. For the most part their previous interactions had taken place on her own turf. And it wasn't really like their relationship was very defined. They weren't acquaintances at this point, but Sephiroth wouldn't exactly call them friends. He didn't have friends. She wasn't his subordinate or his colleague. They were simply an odd pair of people who got along surprisingly well. Still, Sephiroth was more comfortable around Aeris than he was around most people, and he felt oddly protective of her.

Bringing her the glass of water, he joined her on the couch.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I didn't mean for the water, but that too." Her smile wobbled a bit. "Thank you for getting me out of there."

He shrugged. "I wouldn't leave anyone sane in Hojo's hands. I probably wouldn't leave anyone insane in his hands either come to think of it."

Her hands were trembling slightly. "I've always been terrified of being caught and sent back there. It was even worse than I remembered because this time I understood what was going to happen to me."

"You've been in Hojo's lab before?"

"Once, when I was little. I don't remember it that well. Just the fact that I was terrified. My mother, my birth mother I mean, died escaping that place," Aeris admitted. "I've been avoiding being caught since then. I don't know why Hojo's so fascinated with me. When my mom died, I lost most of my connections with my past and my heritage. I know I'm different than most humans, but I know so little about the Cetra that I can't figure most of the puzzle out."

Her smile was rueful. "That's the big secret. My mom was a Cetra. I'm half. Enough of one that I can hear the Planet at the very least. Other than that, I don't know much about them. But it's enough to keep Hojo after me."

Her worry and fear was clear in her voice. It was clear that now she was safe, she was reacting to the whole experience. He could understand her fear. Being Hojo's test subject was enough to frighten anyone with sense. He had been in the same boat. Being returned to the status of full time test subject was one of his few fears. And knowing you were being hunted by the man for something you couldn't change and barely knew anything about couldn't be easy. Aeris had enough hardship in her life already. Despite the fact that she dealt with it with a poise and grace that didn't match her age, she was still a teenager, and this would have been a trying ordeal for anyone.

Sephiroth would also bet that some of that worry came from the fact that she had just admitted to not being entirely human. He knew how being different could set one apart from the rest of the world, and now he knew in part why he felt such a kinship to this young woman. They both felt like outsiders among the rest of the population. A little awkwardly, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Sephiroth wasn't entirely sure how to comfort her, but when she let out a soft sigh and leaned against his shoulder, he figured this would work.

Sephiroth kissed the top of her head. "You're safe, Aeris."

And he was determined to keep her that way. Even if that particular fact surprised him.


	6. Back in the Jailhouse Again

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set before the game. Theme 3: Bon Voyage.

* * *

><p><strong>Back In the Jailhouse Again<strong>

Zack had insisted that Aeris keep the PHP he had found for her. At times like this, Aeris rather regretted it. She wasn't entirely sure how late it was, but the damn thing wouldn't stop ringing, so it wasn't like she had much of a choice except to answer it. The young woman managed to grab the device off her nightstand and answered it.

"Hello?"

A familiar voice came out. "Aeris, I am sorry to disturb you, but-"

"Let me guess," she cut him off. "You're in jail with Zack."

Sephiroth sighed. "That would be an accurate assessment of the situation."

Aeris bit back a giggle. It always amazed her how formal Sephiroth could sound in just about any situation. "I take it you would like me to come and get you two out."

"Well, you're perfectly welcome to leave Zack in here, but yes, I would appreciate it you came and got me out. The bail is set at a hundred gil. You should be able to get that from my account."

Aeris felt her lips twitch at that. About a month into their acquaintance, Sephiroth had insisted that she have access to his bank account in case of an emergency. She supposed this counted.

"All right. Are you in the same jail as Zack and I were in last time?"

"Yes."

"I'll be there in half an hour."

"Thank you, Aeris."

"It's not a problem."

It did not take Aeris long to roll out of bed and get dressed. She left a note for her mother just incase she woke before Aeris was back. Since it was about three in the morning, Aeris rather doubted that would happen, but it wouldn't hurt either. Her first order of business was to find a ShinRa ATM and collect the bail money she needed. That was easy enough. Then she made her way to the Sector Two jail. She couldn't say that this wasn't something she hadn't expected. After all, she had first met Sephiroth because Zack had them thrown in jail. That time around Sephiroth had bailed them out. It looked like it was time to return the favor.

Aeris had to admit that it was rather different picking someone up from jail rather than being picked up from jail. It did take her a few minutes to convince the man at the desk that she was here to pick up General Sephiroth and his companion, and then she had to fill out several forms as well as hand over the money. Then she was finally escorted to the cellblock.

It was a little different from the other side of the bars. She spotted Sephiroth and Zack immediately and made her way over to their cell. Zack appeared to be passed out. Sephiroth looked up at her approach.

Aeris grinned at him. "We really should stop meeting this way, General. So do I want to know how you ended up in here, or would it be better not to ask?"

The silver haired man sighed. "It is a rather long story."

"Let me guess. It was Zack's fault." Aeris sighed. "Never mind. I don't want to know. At least Reno wasn't involved."

His lips quirked into a half smile at that.

"Let's get you out of here." Aeris nodded at the police officer beside her who hurried to unlock the cell. "I've filled out all of the paperwork, so we just have to pick up your things, and then you're set to go."

Sephiroth leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Aeris."

She smiled. "Just returning the favor."

Within a matter of minutes, they were ready to bid the jail bon voyage and head home. Zack was still passed out, but that was probably a good thing, though she rather thought it was tempting to drop him into the next fountain they found. The cold water might do Zack some good. Aeris yawned. She might be used to getting up early, but four thirty in the morning was still earlier than she liked to be awake. Sephiroth smiled at her.

"Let me drop Zack off at the barracks, and then you can nap for a few hours and I'll take you out to breakfast. It's the least I can do."

Aeris smiled. "That would be lovely."


	7. In the Garden

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set before the game. Theme 15: The "Natives".

* * *

><p><strong>In the Garden<strong>

Aeris dug her fingers into the dirt with a happy sigh. She always felt most at home when working with her plants, and her current batch of seedlings was ready to leave their pots and go into the regular flower beds. Her gardens had diversified quite a bit lately. Sephiroth had gotten into the habit of bringing her back seeds whenever he went someplace on a mission. Aeris wasn't sure why he'd started doing that, but she wasn't going to complain. He had brought her back some very lovely flowers, and she enjoyed his company.

Sephiroth had become a friend. It still baffled Aeris a little that she was friends with one of the currently most famous and feared people in the world. Though Aeris had to admit that she wasn't afraid of him. She wasn't even very wary around him either. Of course, it did help that he mostly visited her rather than the other way around. Aeris was still rather uncomfortable going any where near an official ShinRa anything. But Sephiroth seemed happy to visit her here in her garden. She had the feeling that it was one of the few places he felt like he could just be himself. She doubted that it was easy being the General of SOLDIER. Add to that the fact he had practically grown up in Hojo's lab, it was no wonder he felt isolated much of the time. She felt the same thing often enough.

"Hello, Aeris."

She started a little at the sound of his voice.

"Seph! You're back." Then she frowned. "What have I told you about sneaking up on me?"

He laughed. "I brought you something."

Aeris grinned back at him; she long stopped protesting that he didn't have to get her anything. Sephiroth would bring her back seeds and plants regardless. Sephiroth smiled at her and took a seat on one of the remaining pews before producing a little brown paper packet.

"So what did you get me?"

"Bulbs. Pink, yellow, and orange tulips as well as a mix of various crocuses."

"Let me finish getting these in the ground, and then I'll get those potted."

"There's no rush. I have plenty of time."

"Tell me about your trip."

They never really discussed what his missions were, but he told her about the places he visited and what they were like. One Aeris wanted to travel herself and see them, but for now she was content hear about his experiences. While they talked, Aeris finished getting the last dozen seedlings into the ground and watered them. She paused from time to time to glance at Sephiroth. He didn't quite look the way ShinRa or rumors painted him. The relaxed man in causal clothes didn't inspire awe or fear at all really. At least not to her. He seemed to enjoy the time he spent with her, and Aeris knew that she did.

Her mother didn't quite approve of their friendship, but she did appreciate that it protected Aeris. When Sephiroth was there, no one even tried to hassle her. The natives of the area gave him a wide berth. To be fair, for the most part, people knew better than to try and harm her anymore, but there were always a few idiots who tried on occasion or were new to the area. One look at Sephiroth tended to scare them off. He never did anything to disguise himself, but then again it was rather hard for him to manage subtle. At least unless he wanted to dye his hair.

Aeris accepted the little packet of bulbs with a smile and set to work getting them in pots. She didn't have a flower bed free to plant them in at the moment. Sephiroth watched her with a slight smile on his face. He seemed far more at ease here than when they were out in public. She had easier time of hiding the fact that she didn't belong, but it was still true. He didn't exactly fit in here, but then neither did she. They were both unique, and that had also isolated them. But Aeris didn't feel isolated around him; she felt like she belonged.

Their conversation turned to his men and their antics as she planted the bulbs in pots. Aeris was content to spend the afternoon puttering in her garden, and it was clear that Sephiroth had no intention of going any place else for a while. Both in conversation and in silence they were comfortable and companionable, and Aeris enjoyed a lovely afternoon with her friend. Sephiroth had the forethought to bring some snacks along as well, and there was no need to leave until they were ready to. When it was finally beginning to get dark outside, Sephiroth walked her home and left her at her doorstep with a kiss on her cheek. Aeris was smiling when she greeted her mother.

Elmyra smiled back. "Did you have a nice day, dear?"

"Definitely."


	8. Consolation

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set before the game. Theme 7: Lost.

* * *

><p><strong>Consolation<strong>

Sephiroth only had one destination in mind. He needed to see Aeris. His head was a whirl with thoughts and feelings. He was teetering on the brink of something dangerous, and he couldn't manage to get enough control to think things through. Aeris always provided him with a sense of stability, and he desperately needed that right now. His world had been turned upside down, and he wasn't sure what way was up anymore. He needed to sort out his thoughts, but he couldn't seem to settle his mind enough to do so.

He thanked every power that he could think of that Zack had convinced him to bring Aeris to Nibelheim for her birthday gift. They both knew that she wanted to travel, and that she'd never been anywhere besides Midgar. Technically, they were here on a mission, but it was a simple enough one, and it wasn't like Aeris would be leaving the town. So it had been safe enough for her to come. She'd been delighted throughout their travels here and had settled into the inn with ease, making friends with a local girl.

Finding Aeris was easy enough. She took one look at his face and wrapped him in a warm hug.

"Let's go back to by room."

It was not long before Sephiroth found himself seated on Aeris' bed, watching as she fixed them both a cup of tea. She didn't ask what was wrong or press him. She simply let him sit and gather his thoughts. He appreciated that. It was one of the things that made Aeris so special. She always seemed to know when to push and when to give him space. She almost always seemed to understand him on a level that no one else did. He watched as she carefully poured the hot water into the teapot and put the lid on.

"One sugar and lemon?" Aeris asked quietly.

Sephiroth nodded. With in minutes he was cradling a hot cup of tea between his hands, its head slowly seeping into his skin. It warmth grounded him and made some of the lost feeling he was having go away. It was minutes more before he began to talk.

"Hojo had a lab at the ShinRa Mansion. I found some of his records."

Aeris nodded and waited for him to continue.

"Most of them were about me."

The words began to spill out of his mouth. He told her about the journals he found and what they claimed. That he was simply the product of experimentation using alien cells. That he was simply the product of yet another of Hojo's crazy experiments. That he wasn't really human. He didn't want to believe it, but at the same time, it made a lot of sense. On the one hand, it almost did make sense, but on the other, when had Hojo ever told the full truth? Sephiroth honestly didn't know what to believe, and it wasn't like there was anyone around that he could ask. Well, besides Hojo, and Sephiroth was fairly certain that he wouldn't be able to trust anything Hojo told him. But part of him needed to know who he was or even what he was.

Sephiroth could feel the panic and distress rising up in him again when Aeris set aside her tea cup and came to stand in front of him. She took his own cup and set it aside as well.

"You are your own person." Aeris spoke softly. "It doesn't matter who your parents were. That's not what makes someone human, Sephiroth."

She took his hands in her own, standing in front of him.

"Whatever, whoever else you are, you are Sephiroth who is my friend." She kissed his forehead. "You are not alone. We'll figure this out."

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and for the first time since he'd discovered those journals, Sephiroth felt like he was back on stable ground.


	9. Tall Tales

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set several years after 26. Theme : Salt.

* * *

><p><strong>Tall Tales<strong>

Zack surveyed the young faces staring up at him. Somehow he had ended up alone with the children. It was rare that their mothers would allow that. It was hard to believe how much things had changed at times. Then he was confronted with evidence like the kids. The youngest two were Cloud and Tifa's. Both had inherited their mother's looks thankfully, though even at age four Rae appeared to have her father's temperament. Her eight year old brother, Ryan, was a far more like his mother. Aria was the oldest at ten. The only thing that marked her as Sephiroth's daughter was her long silver hair. Other than that she was completely Aeris' child; Seph seemed inordinately proud of that fact. Kerrigan rounded out the group at age nine. Tseng's daughter has his coloring for the most part, but her looks were her mother's as were her caramel colored eyes.

It was hard to believe at times that it had been years since the gang had first met. This was their twelfth reunion party, and so much had changed. Quiet frankly, everything had changed once Aeris met Sephiroth. Zack held himself responsible for that. After all, if he hadn't gotten drunk that night, Seph and Aeris might never have met. And Zack quite honestly didn't know what would have happened if Aeris hadn't been there to keep Sephiroth sane when Jenova had popped up. He had a feeling that things could have been a whole lot worse. Not that they hadn't been bad enough. Jenova had been a problem in more ways than one.

"Uncle Zack," Ryan spoke up. "We want a story. A real one."

There were nods all around the group.

"A true story, eh?" Zack grinned. "Let me tell you about how your parents got together. And yes, I mean all of them. The stories are pretty much linked. But we'll start with Sephiroth and Aeris since they're the ones who really got things started."

Aeris striking up a friendship with Sephiroth after the man had bailed her and Zack out of jail had been unexpected, but if anyone could have managed such a feat, it would be Aeris. And not only had she managed to become friends with the great general of ShinRa, but she'd become his confidant as well. That had probably saved them all. If Sephiroth hadn't gone first to Aeris when he'd discovered Hojo's diaries, he might have been the one to be lured into Jenova's trap. Zack didn't know if they would have been able to stop her then.

As it was, it had been difficult to stop her, and she had only taken control of a highly trained SOLDIER. Well, and attempted to control Cloud and Zack himself. That hadn't quite worked out. And her efforts to take control of Sephiroth had pretty much crashed and burned thanks to Aeris. In the end, it had been Aeris who had held the key to defeating her. Though it had taken more than just Aeris to do so. They had gathered quite a team by the end in order to defeat Jenova. ShinRa and Avalanche had actually worked together without too much bloodshed on either side.

The end results had been Jenova's destruction, a partially destroyed Midgar, Rufus taking over what was left of ShinRa, and two proposals of marriage. Okay, Sephiroth's technically had not been exactly a proposal of marriage, but it was close enough. He and Aeris now lived in Mideel. Sephiroth dealt with any monster that wandered into the area, and occasionally took other jobs as well. Aeris ran a flower shop. They both seemed immensely happy. Aria had been born two years after the whole Jenova crisis, and while Zack had never expected Sephiroth to turn into a family man, somehow it seemed to work.

He modified the story for the children of course. There were some things that they really didn't need to know at this point, and besides, it didn't hurt to play up the romance in the story and make his own role in saving the world a little larger. It was his sworn duty to come up with new ways to tease Sephiroth after all, and casting him as some sort of great romantic hero was sure to irk the man.

He had just gotten to the part where Sephiroth had made a dramatic entrance and then saved Aeris from being buried at sea when everyone thought that she was dead with true love's first kiss when he realized that the children were staring at something behind him.

"Zack, what are you telling the children?" Aeris' voice rang out.

He turned to find her standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. He offered her an innocent smile.

"They asked for a true story."

"You seem to have altered the facts a little. I really don't remember being in that much danger of being drowned, and I'm pretty sure that it was a lake not an ocean since we used it to refill our water supplies. Salt water tastes rather different from fresh water."

Zack just shrugged. "Artistic license."

Aeris smirked then turned to the assembled children who all looked fascinated. "Right. Let me tell you a story about your Uncle Zack."


	10. The Girl in 3B

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU. Theme 9: Flood.

* * *

><p><strong>The Girl in 3B<strong>

Sephiroth wasn't sure what to make of the young woman standing in his hallway. She was petite, brunette, and her arms were full of plants. She was also going to be his new neighbor. Tseng had suggested that she would be a good choice to fill the vacant apartment on Sephiroth's floor. And given that her former lodgings had been completely flooded by an idiot undergraduate who forgot to turn off their sink last week, Sephiroth had said yes without thinking it through very much. Now he was having second thoughts.

He'd had the floor to himself for quite a while now. Unlike the first and second floors which had around a dozen apartments each, the third floor had only had two apartments. Sephiroth had never known why. The building had just come that way. His apartment took up two thirds of the third floor, and Sephiroth rather liked his solitude. There had always been a smaller apartment on the third floor as well, but since Sephiroth owned the building, he had never had to deal with a neighbor unless he felt like it. Of course, most of his fellow tenants didn't know that he was the building owner. Reeve managed the building for him, and all most of the tenants knew was that he was the reclusive guy on the third floor.

Most of the tenants here were all employees ShinRa Inc. as was Sephiroth. He might be picky about who he let rent apartments here, but that was mostly because anyone sane at ShinRa had to stick together. There were a few people in the building like Tifa or Yuffie who didn't actually work for ShinRa, but they were exceptions rather than the rule, though the new girl would be joining their ranks. He didn't really know anything about her except that she was a university student and that Tseng knew her from somewhere.

She seemed to have noticed him staring at her. She offered him a bright smile.

"Aeris Gainsborough. I'm a botany student at the university. I'd offer to shake your hand but, well you can see."

And he could. He doubted she could free a hand without dropping anything. In fact, she seemed to be trying to figure out how to open her door.

"Sephiroth."

"You're my neighbor then. It's nice to meet you."

He nodded. "Would you like a hand with your door?"

"That would be wonderful. The keys are in the door. This was my last load of stuff to bring in from the car, and my help has all abandoned me at this point."

Sephiroth easily unlocked the door and held it open for her. Most of her things were still in boxes, but from what he could observe when Aeris was done unpacking the apartment would be warm and homey. The girl seemed nice enough at the very least, and she was polite which was a point in her favor. She wasn't a bad neighbor if he had to have one. Though there was something about her bright smile and sparkling eyes that threw him off balance just a little.

He certainly wasn't expecting her to a deliver a thank you note and a potted plant about a month after she had moved in. Sephiroth blinked at the potted plant he now held. It was some sort of flowering herb he thought. Aeris grinned at him. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek, and Sephiroth had the feeling that she had been up on the roof (which she had turned into a garden in less than three weeks). Still he accepted the offering.

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Sephiroth. I appreciate the welcome and help."

He hadn't thought he'd been anything more than polite. He'd helped her a few times when her arms were full or they were entering the building at the same time. He watched her walk down the hall to her own door. Having a neighbor was proving interesting to say the least, and Sephiroth didn't think he was going to complain about the girl who was now living in 3B.


	11. A Quiet Life

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 14: Middle of Nowhere.

* * *

><p><strong>A Quiet Life<strong>

When Sephiroth had died, at least he was pretty sure he was dead, this wasn't what he was expecting. To be fair, he hadn't expected much of anything. He had never given much credence to the idea of an afterlife. However, that didn't stop him from being someplace now. It wasn't like any other place he'd ever been. As far as he could tell, he was standing beside a river. The ground beneath his feet was covered with moss and few stones. There was a soft kiss of a breeze in the air, and it felt like spring. There was something off about the entire place, but Sephiroth couldn't quite put his finger on what.

What he did notice was he felt more like himself than he had in a long time. His memories were hazy at best, but he knew that whatever he'd been doing lately, he hadn't been totally present. It was a little like sleepwalking. Only he remembered bits and pieces of thing but not the whole. It bothered him. There had not been much that Sephiroth had control when he had been younger, but at least he had always known that his mind and his thoughts were his own. Now he wasn't so sure about that. Something had happened, even if he couldn't quite remember it.

That was when he realized that he wasn't alone. There was a girl, a young woman really, standing beside the river. She was dressed in pink and had long chestnut hair, and Sephiroth knew that he should know who she was. Her eyes were green, and when she smiled suddenly it all hit him at once. His memory snapped back into place with crystal clarity, and he reeled in reaction. He had killed her.

He had killed before. He had killed innocents before, though it was something that he tended to avoid if possible. But that had typically been in the heat of battle. He had killed this young woman in cold blood because a voice in his head claiming to be his mother had told him too. What in the world could he have been thinking? It was like all of his logic and reason had just disappeared.

The young woman took a step towards him. Sephiroth met her eyes. She didn't seem to be afraid or him or even angry.

"I remember you. I'm sorry." It was hardly adequate, but he did owe her an apology. Her life had simply been collateral damage to him.

She moved closer. "Sephiroth, I knew what my fate was from the moment I joined Avalanche. I knew what the planet was expecting of me and what it would lead to. And I knew that you didn't have any more choice than I did. I wouldn't exactly say you were in your right mind either."

"That's not an excuse."

"Maybe not. But it is understanding. Though you're right. Maybe we should start over." She offered him her hand. "I'm Aeris Gainsbourgh. It's nice to meet you."

He didn't take her hand. "I don't deserve your forgiveness or your friendship."

Aeris just smiled. "That doesn't matter to me. Besides, we might as well get along. It's not like there's much company here."

He doesn't understand how she can offer him her forgiveness, and he's not sure that he'll ever be able to accept it. But gradually, he gets used to her presence, and Sephiroth couldn't help but be glad that he was not completely alone here. Not that it's easy though. He's not used to constant interaction with others outside of a structured environment. Sephiroth really wasn't used to this sort of companionship. He hadn't really had friends before. Subordinates and allies, yes. Friends, not exactly. Zack was the closest he came to having friend. But Aeris was surprisingly a pleasant companion. He found he enjoyed her company, and to his surprise, they had far more in common than he would have expected. In many ways, this was a rather odd existence for him. Sephiroth was not used to having nothing to do like this. It wasn't like the hurry up and wait of the military. At least he wasn't the only one who struggled with it.

Aeris too was not used to having so much free time on her hands. She freely admitted that she missed gardening and that the free time weighed heavy on her at times. She didn't know why the two of them were separate from everyone else in the Lifestream. They could just as well be in the middle of nowhere. It was a quiet life, and there wasn't much to do except for talk to one another. Sephiroth had the feelings that not many people had seen past the perpetually cheerful façade Aeris often wore besides him, and oddly enough, he found himself telling her things that he never had disclosed before. In some ways that wasn't hard. Sephiroth didn't tend to talk about himself. At least not before now. But Aeris made it easy somehow.

Even if she did make him uneasy with her forgiveness of him. But he was slowly learning to accept it. He wasn't sure that he deserved this afterlife with her, but he had to admit that he was glad to be here with her. It kept things from being boring at the very least.


	12. Back to Life

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 8: All Hands on Deck.

* * *

><p><strong>Back to Life<strong>

It caught Aeris' attention immediately. The change in the air and in the environment around her. Since Sephiroth's arrival in this place, wherever they were, the planet had left Aeris alone for the most part. Not that Aeris minded exactly. Sephiroth was good company, and she understood that while she might be one of the planet's favored children there were other things that might occupy it. She and Sephiroth had managed to forge a friendship. They were far more alike than Aeris had ever expected, and . But she could feel the planet's presence now, and it was clear that something was going to happen.

"Aeris?" Sephiroth's voice beside her made her start. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure."

He frowned at her, silver eyebrows drawing together. "What do you mean?"

"I think-"

That was as far as she got before the planet decided to tell them itself. Aeris had long ago given up trying to explain what it was like to hear the planet to others. When she had been alive, it had been an odd mixture of music and phrases most of the time. Sometimes it was just understanding. Aeris simply knew what the planet was trying to convey. The understanding of the message was simply there in her heard. It was like that this time. And given the expression on Sephiroth's face, she wasn't the only one who had gotten the message.

The planet wanted to bring them back to life. To bring them both back to life. Part of Aeris was jumping with joy. She missed so much about being alive, and while she enjoyed Sephiroth's company, she didn't know how long either of them could stand to be here. It didn't change, and sooner or later it would begin to drive them crazy. But she was also afraid to go back as well. There was a reason they were being sent back. Once again Aeris would have a mission to fulfill. If the planet needed all hands on deck in order to deal with whatever problem they had now, it was probably pretty serious. Last time her mission had gotten her killed. It had been a sacrifice that ultimately she had been willing to make, but that didn't mean she hadn't struggled with it. And it didn't mean that she wanted to do it again. Also going back would mean all sorts of explanations to those she had left behind. It wouldn't be easy.

Sephiroth seemed just as startled as she was. But he managed to actually say something was Aeris was still struggling to figure out how she wanted to respond.

"Why me? Sending Aeris back makes sense, but that doesn't explain why you would send me back. It's not as if it would be that useful either. Most people are going to see me as an enemy."

There was another wash of information, and they had their answers to that. The planet wanted Aeris back, but had decided that she would need a protector this time around. And it wanted Sephiroth to be that protector. Aeris had to admit that it was rather ironic, but it also was a second chance for Sephiroth. If he was willing to take it. That was the catch of course. The planet could not bring them back unless the agreed to it, and Aeris could think of half a dozen reasons why Sephiroth wouldn't want to go back at all. Aeris glanced at her companion.

He mostly looked stunned and confused. She offered him her hand. If she was honest, Aeris didn't want to go back all by herself. She would much rather have him come with her, despite the problems it might cause.

"I don't want to go back alone," her voice was soft.

Sephiroth met her eyes for a long moment, almost as if weighing something. Then he slipped his hand into hers and kissed her forehead lightly. "All right."

The life stream wrapped around them, and the world went black.


	13. Watery Grave

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 24: Drowning.

* * *

><p><strong>Watery Grave<strong>

Sephiroth found himself irked by the choice of resting place for Aeris. While it might be picturesque and fitting, it was also inconvenient when the planet decided to bring them back. Sephiroth had not been pleased to return to consciousness in the middle of a lake. But at least he knew how to swim. Aeris did not. At least, given the way she was failing around, Sephiroth assumed that she didn't know how to swim. It wasn't that surprising, honestly. Aeris had grown up in the slums of Midgar. Even if she had learned how to swim somehow, there really wasn't any place safe to practice.

By the time Sephiroth managed to get them both out of the water and onto dry land, they were both soaked and chilled to the bone. The water was not a pleasant temperature to be swimming in. Aeris was shivering violently, and Sephiroth was quick to get a fire started before she went into shock. He had to get her warm. It was clear that she was in bad shape. Sephiroth wasn't sure if it was simply because she was smaller and had less body mass or if it something that had to do with the resurrection process, but whatever it was, it would not do to have her fall ill now.

Thankfully, both the material for a fire and shelter had been easy to come by. Sephiroth had even been able to find a few blankets around. They were old and worn, but at least they were dry. The area around the temple was uninhabited now, but whoever had lived here before had left plenty of things behind. It only took Sephiroth a matter of minutes to get them both out of their wet clothes and wrapped in the blankets. Moving closer to the fire, he pulled Aeris into his lap. She was still shivering and was barely conscious at this point. The fire and body heat were about all that Sephiroth had to work with.

Whose bright idea had it been to put her in a lake? Couldn't they have put her in a nice, dry tomb? It would have definitely made their reincarnation a little easier. Quite frankly, they were lucky not to have drowned. Sephiroth hadn't expected things to go entirely smoothly, but this was not the best start. Aeris shivered, and he held her closer. She curled into his embrace, coughing weakly. They wouldn't be going anywhere for at least a day or so. For one thing, Sephiroth had every intention of seeing what supplies he could scrounge from the abandoned city. He was seeing a number of flaws in the planet's plan right now.

The two of them were currently stranded in the middle of an abandoned city with little to no supplies, no money, and no means of transport other than their own two feet. They were currently both wet and cold, though Sephiroth was feeling warmer. They had no allies and no weapons. But they were alive, so that was a plus. Aeris shifted slightly in his arms, her green eyes sleepy when she met his.

"We're back."

He nodded.

"So what's next?"

"We warm up, get some rest, and wait for our clothes to dry. Then we can figure out a plan after that." He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "Rest. We don't have to do anything until morning."

They were alive after all, and that at least was a start.


	14. The Smell of Rain

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 28: Drenched.

* * *

><p><strong>The Smell of Rain<strong>

A frown kissed her lips as Aeris hung up the blanket she'd been using as a shawl. Aeris was beginning to get rather miffed at their lack of luck when it came to the weather. Thankfully, they had been able to duck into a cave for shelter and hadn't gotten drenched this time around, but really, this was beginning to get ridiculous. It had been bad enough that she had come back to life in a lake of all places, but then they had been plagued with storms along their way as the two of them slowly made their way towards civilization. It also didn't help that most of their supplies were things scavenged from what they could find in the abandoned city, and that hadn't been much.

She sighed and settled down in front of the fire. The cave was small but dry. Sephiroth had built them a cozy fire, and now there really was nothing to do except sit and listen to the rain. It was really pouring down now. Aeris was grateful that the two of them had had enough warning to get undercover before the downpour really started. Still, it was another day of only partial travel. At this rate, it was going to take months to get someplace where they could resupply.

They had managed well enough so far with their scavenged supplies and whatever Sephiroth managed to hunt or trap and Aeris' knowledge of plants. But they couldn't subsist like this forever. Especially once they started to work on whatever mission the planet had for them. Aeris didn't know what that was just yet. The planet had been very vague on the details so far, and while it was nice to have a chance to get used to being alive again, Aeris worried about what was in store for the two of them.

Of course, being out here in the wilderness did help them avoid dealing with some of the other problems that she knew were going to crop up. Aeris herself might be rather unremarkable, but people were going to notice Sephiroth. There just weren't than many six foot silver haired men out there. And despite the fact that her Sephiroth really wasn't the same person as the one who had caused most of the death and destruction earlier, Aeris was well aware that not everyone was going to understand that.

It was one of the realities they were going to have to deal with eventually, but Aeris was more than willing to simply enjoy the peace of this moment. She knew it wouldn't always been this simple for the two of them. The sound of the rain at least was soothing. Sephiroth joined her beside the fire, wrapping a blanket around them both.

"I think we're stuck here for the night at least."

Aeris sighed and closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. "Oh well. At least it's dry."

"Do you want me to start on dinner?"

She shook her head. "It's my turn. I'll get the stew started in a few minutes."

"No hurry."

They sat in silence together, neither feeling the need to fill it. Aeris enjoyed these moments. She and Sephiroth had become friends during the time they'd spent in limbo (neither of them were really sure how long it had been since they'd died), and she was comfortable with him whether they were having a discussion or not. He was one of the few people she had met to treat her like a competent adult. He lent her aid when she needed it, but for the most part he let her pull her own weight. It was nice. She had never been helpless, but many of her friends had treated her that way over the years. Their relationship was a partnership, and Aeris found herself enjoying that.

She didn't really know what he had been like before the whole Jenova mess. From all of the information she had, Sephiroth had been rather aloof and reserved. Then again, he'd been a military commander. And even now he was far more likely to sit with her in silence than talk. But she was glad he was here with her now. She had been afraid to come back on her own. Even just having Sephiroth as company made this whole experience easier. The fact that he was very good company made it actually pleasant. With another sigh, she opened her eyes. Time to start dinner.


	15. Putting Down Roots

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 13: Stranded.

* * *

><p><strong>Putting Down Roots<strong>

It took them nearly two months to manage to really get back on their feet. Once they had managed to get a village larger than just a handful of houses, the two of them had managed to get all manner of useful supplies. It helped that Sephiroth found that no one had bothered to do anything about his bank accounts, so at least they had funds to use. However, it took the two of them about a week to acquire the necessary equipment. And there was still the issue of where to go from here.

The planet had not been exactly clear about what exactly it was they were supposed to be doing now that they were alive again. Without knowing what their mission was, it became a little harder to make plans. So Aeris and Sephiroth had finally settled on finding a home base of some sort and settling down there. After all, they couldn't keep simply wandering around the countryside aimlessly forever. However, figuring out just where to settle and finding a place was more difficult than it sounded.

Sephiroth's concerns were for security. He wanted some place that would afford them at least a little privacy. Settling some place where they were constantly dealing with problems because their neighbors thought he was going to snap and kill them. Midgar was clearly not an option. Not that Aeris really wanted to go back there. There were too many memories, and quite honestly, she seemed more sensitive to the pollution in the earth than before. She didn't think she could handle a city the size of Midgar very well, even if it wasn't as much as a cesspit as Midgar was. But they didn't want to be stranded in the middle of nowhere either. While someplace sparsely populated would be a good choice, they also needed to be able to stay in the loop about world events to some extent.

They finally settled on a small village near Mideel. It was a nice enough village, and while Sephiroth got some strange looks, there didn't appear to be any overt hostility. The folk of the village were happy enough to have Sephiroth take care of any monsters that wandered into the village's general area, and Aeris had no trouble make friends. It proved to be a fairly quiet, normal life for the two of them. Aeris enjoyed it. Sephiroth was still adjusting.

It was almost amusing. She had known of course that he hadn't really had a normal life in any way, shape, or form. The military was the closest he'd come to that. So an ordinary life was something of a novelty for him. And he turned out to be a fabulous cook. Which was just as well since cooking wasn't exactly Aeris' strongest suit. She could manage simple meals with some effort, but Sephiroth appeared to have a knack for it. Slowly, the two of them settled into a comfortable routine. Aeris planted a garden, and three months after she had been brought back to life, she finally felt settled and comfortable.

She let out a soft sigh as she dug her fingers into the soil. She was hoping to get her seedlings planted and watered before Sephiroth got back home. The garden wasn't finished yet, but she'd gotten a good start on it. As she worked in the sun kissed garden, Aeris hummed a counterpoint to the planet's tune that sounded in the back of her mind. Then the music swelled, leaving information in its wake. Aeris froze as she understood what the planet wanted. She didn't know how long she sat there after that. But when she sensed Sephiroth's presence, she shook herself out of her stupor. She looked up, meeting Sephiroth's eyes. They had just been given marching orders.


	16. Mass Hallucination

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 19: Swimming.

* * *

><p><strong>Mass Hallucination<strong>

It was a warm pleasant day. Which was just as well since laundry was the order of business for the day. Aeris and Sephiroth had been traveling for nearly two weeks now, and there hadn't been a village for at least the past week. The planet's directions seemed to be accurate, but Aeris wasn't going to be completely comfortable about this until they were actually seeing signs that it was right. According to what she could piece together from the planet, someone was building mako reactors again. They were supposed to stop that.

Sephiroth figured that it had probably been a case of corporate espionage. Of course, he had also pointed out that ShinRa planned for these things, and if the people involved had actually managed to get a copy of the reactor plans, there was probably something wrong with them. So it was probably just as well that the reactor hadn't been activated yet. Neither of them had actually figured out just how to deal with the threat the reactor posed, but Sephiroth had suggested that they get some actual intelligence on the situation first before they tried to make any plans. Since he was supposed to be a tactical genius, Aeris had put him in charge of figuring out what to do about the damn thing.

However, before they went any further on their journey, Aeris wanted clean clothes, and it wasn't like the break would hurt them either. Sephiroth had found them a campsite beside a broad stream, and spending at day not walking appealed to Aeris. So they settled into their campsite, and Aeris had set to work on the laundry. It was all drying now, and she was enjoying the day from her perch on a rock in the middle of the stream. She was at peace will the world in general right now. Glancing around, she spotted Sephiroth seated on the stream bank.

He looked so serious. Aeris had made it her mission to make sure the man engaged in at least some silliness every day. And it wasn't like he was doing anything. A grin spread across her lips as she scooped up a handful of water and tossed it in his direction. Sephiroth looked over at her and wrinkled his nose. She laughed and kicked a shower of water at him. Sephiroth retaliated. Things devolved from there. It wasn't long before Sephiroth had waded out into the stream to really engage in the battle. It didn't take long before both of them were soaked to the skin as if they had been swimming, and Aeris was breathless with laughter. The she realized that Sephiroth had frozen where he stood, and realization hit her.

Someone was watching them. She could feel their eyes on her. Aeris turned. There standing up on the bank on the other side of the stream from their camp were her friends. Then she realized that AVALANCHE just was staring at them. She couldn't help the laughter. AVALANCHE looked so stunned. It was almost like someone had hit them all over the head with a board.

She couldn't blame them exactly. After all, both she and Sephiroth were supposed to be dead, and one really did not expect to come across the great General Sephiroth engaging in a water fight. Laughter probably wasn't the right reaction on her part either, but she was nervous and a little scared, and it was easier to laugh than to start crying. She was not ready for this situation at all. She turned to her companion. He didn't look nearly as amused, but he met her eyes and gave her a rueful smile.

"I think the rest of our day is not going to be so peaceful."

Aeris gently nudged Sephiroth with her shoulder. "Maybe we're both suffering from some sort of hallucination?"

He shook his head and took her hand in his. "Well, it could be worse, I suppose. They haven't attacked yet."

"Maybe they'll go away." She suggested softly.

"Yeah, right." He kissed her temple. "Ready?"

"No."

"Too bad. I don't think they're going to give us a choice."

He squeezed her hand in support and helped her ashore. Aeris didn't let go of his hand. She would be a physical shield between Sephiroth and AVALANCHE if need be.

"Hey. Aeris took a deep breath then smiled brightly. "Would anyone like a cup of tea?"

She wasn't ready for this yet, but they would have to do the best they could with the circumstances. And the first order of business would be convincing her friends that Sephiroth was on their side and not a threat. He squeezed her hand, and Aeris took another deep breath. She could do this.


	17. Forging Peace

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 19: Olive Branch.

* * *

><p><strong>Forging Peace<strong>

AVALANCHE was clearly not amused by the situation for the most part. Sephiroth, on the other hand, could see the humor in the situation, even if he was trying not to let it show. It probably wouldn't help Aeris' efforts to convince her friends that he wasn't a danger to them. He still wasn't entirely sure how she had managed to keep Cloud from attacking him before now. AVALANCHE had not exactly been pleased to find him alive. In fact, at first explanations apparently weren't needed. They had just wanted to shoot him.

Aeris had put a stop to that by keeping herself in their line of fire. She had been effectively shielding him since. AVALANCHE wasn't exactly taking the news of his resurrection well, and Aeris clearly wasn't willing to take any chances. They actually hadn't counted on running into AVALANCH so soon, and neither of them had been prepared. Still, Aeris had managed to keep them from attacking, even if some of them were still pointing weapons at him.

"Aeris, move away from him." Strife demanded.

"No. I won't let you hurt him."

Strife looked startled. "Aeris, he killed you."

Aeris could be rather fierce it seemed. "I've gotten over that. Besides, the circumstances were a little different when that happened."

Strife didn't appear to be willing to back down just yet, though most of the others had lowered their weapons. Sephiroth kept silent, not wanting to make the situation any worse. He did not think that there was really much of anything he could say at this point that would make any sort of difference. Maybe later, but right now he didn't think that most of AVALANCHE was that interested in anything he had to say. He also had the feeling it was going to be a long night. They had been at this for nearly an hour now, and the only thing that had been accomplished was the fact that he wasn't dead yet. Aeris sighed and leaned back slightly against Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth is acting as my bodyguard at the planet's request. It brought us both back. He's no longer insane nor is he controlled or able to be controlled by Jenova. He's no threat to you or the world at this point, and I've spent the last three months with him without being in any sort of danger. That's not counting however long we were in limbo for either."

"Two years." Lockhart's voice was quiet.

Aeris nodded. "I realize that's two years I've had to deal with the issue that you haven't. But the planet thinks he deserves a second chance, and so do I. And the planet thinks I'll need Sephiroth's help to deal with this latest problem. You don't have to like him, but I'm not going to let you harm him."

AVALANCHE didn't exactly look convinced. In fact, Sephiroth didn't think that it would be long at all before an actual fight broke out. He wasn't entirely sure what to do when that happened. He had been trained to protect himself, and he had no intention of dying again anytime soon. However, injuring or even killing one of Aeris' friends was not going to help his cause either. He could probably deal with them without harming them too badly, but he wasn't entirely sure. Soldiers were trained to kill, and he had been very good at his job. A lot of it was instinctive at this point, which made a situation like this all the more dangerous.

Aeris slid her hand into his. "Can we at least sit down? I'll tell you the whole story."

Valentine, who was the only one who had his weapon holstered, nodded at that suggestion. "That seems reasonable."

Aeris nodded. "Good. Sephiroth and I are going to go get our kettle, and I'll make some tea to go with the story."

And before they could protest, Aeris had turned was pushing towards their campsite, all the time keep her body between AVALANCHE and him. She let out a sigh as soon as they were out of firing range. As Aeris collected the thing he needed to make tea, the two of them shared a look.

"They have reason to hate me, Aeris," he spoke softly.

She wrinkled her nose at him then kissed his cheek. "And learning to let go of that hate will help them. Besides, the planet gave us this mission. I'm not doing it alone. You're stick with me."

He couldn't help the slight smile that spread across his lips. It was going to be a long night, and he had no idea if AVALANCHE would ever accept the olive branch they were offering. But he wasn't alone, and it didn't look like he would be anytime soon.


	18. Adjusting

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 23: Bit Off More Than You Can Chew.

* * *

><p><strong>Adjusting<strong>

Vincent had to admit that the situation was actually going very well so far. Yes, it was tense and awkward, but no one was dead yet, and that was a good thing. Of course, the most likely victim right now would be Sephiroth, and he had the feeling that the man's death would seriously anger Aeris. To say that Vincent had been stunned to discover the pair alive and well would be an understatement. It had been a shock to just about everyone. Well, except for Aeris and Sephiroth. They had been surprised to see AVALANCHE, but they acted as if they'd known this would happen sooner or later.

Quite frankly, it was just as well that most of AVALANCHE was still in shock. It had allowed them to get through the initial meeting and the following explanations without too much trouble. That would probably come later. Vincent was actually rather convinced. He didn't think that Sephiroth was acting. This man was quite different from the one that they had fought before, though Vincent doubted that most of the group realized that. Cloud certainly didn't. The young man looked ready to leap into battle at any moment. He certainly wasn't convinced that Sephiroth meant no harm, and he wasn't the only one.

Vincent understood their caution. Given all that Sephiroth had put them through it was understandable. But there were some other things to take into account now. Like the fact that Aeris had known she was going to die. She had all but admitted to them her death had been necessary in order to save the planet. Even if Sephiroth hadn't killed her, she would have had to die. And of course, there was Sephiroth himself. The man had not made one threatening move towards them since they had stumbled upon Aeris and Sephiroth. He had not made one move to harm them. He had been polite in the face of some very nasty accusations and comments, and he had supported Aeris through it all.

Aeris seemed completely comfortable with him. Vincent watched as she curled up against the man's side. Aeris yawned. Sephiroth wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He smiled down at her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Aeris had clearly forgiven the man. In fact, she actually looked happy with him in a way that Vincent had never really seen before. None of them were quite used to Aeris and Sephiroth's relationship yet, but they would just have to learn to accept it.

It was clear to him at least that they came as a set now. Vincent was not sure what had transpired between the two of them to create such a strong bond between them, but he doubted they could be severed now. And AVALANCHE had just as much invested in stopping whoever was trying to restart the mako reactors as Aeris and Sephiroth. So they were going to have to work together. Sephiroth's past actions might not be water under the bridge, but they were going to have to be set aside while the dealt with that. Then they could figure out what to do. Maybe one day Cloud would get over the idea, but Vincent had the feeling that it was going to be a long tense mission.


	19. Queasy

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 6: Nausea.

* * *

><p><strong>Queasy<strong>

Aeris sighed as she settled into her chair. As much as she wanted to be out in the garden right now, it was pouring rain, and Sephiroth would probably have hysterics if she went out in that. He had gotten far more protective since they'd learned she was pregnant. Of course, he'd been protective of her to start with, so his recent behavior was simply ratcheting up that instinct to another level. Aeris could put up with that. Thankfully, it wasn't the oppressive smothering from nearly everyone that she had gotten when they were working with AVALANCHE.

* * *

><p>She bit her lip, trying not to lose her temper. Aeris and Sephiroth had been traveling with AVALANCHE for nearly three days now, and things were beginning to get ridiculous. It had been hard enough to convince most of AVALANCHE that Sephiroth was not a threat and that he needed to come with them. Unfortunately, it was very clear to Aeris that while her friends might have accepted the necessity of having Sephiroth along, they weren't happy about. And they certainly weren't happy about the way he treated her.<p>

Not that there was anything wrong with the way Sephiroth treated her to Aeris' mind. They were friends, and she was well aware that they had been slowly shifting towards something more like a romance. Aeris was content to let that develop as it would. Cloud and others seemed to want to nip whatever relationship she might have with Sephiroth in the bud. And while she could understand that, they way they were going about it was driving her more than a little crazy. She had died and been resurrected, not been made terminally stupid. Cloud and Barrett had been treating her like a child for three days now, and there was only so much that Aeris could take.

Unfortunately, she wasn't sure what she could do to change things, and it wasn't like she had a lot of support. Both Tifa and Yuffie appeared to be on the fence about Sephiroth in general, and while Nanaki and Vincent seemed to have accepted Sephiroth's presence as necessary and hadn't made much of it. Oh, they were watching him carefully, but they weren't trying to actively discourage his association with Aeris. Really, her biggest problem was Cloud. Barrett was mostly following his lead.

* * *

><p>A wave of nausea pulled her from her memories. Aeris just sighed. Morning sickness had so far been the worst part of her pregnancy. Of course, it was more like all the time sickness. It was more annoying than debilitating, but it was still a major nuisance. She was happy to be pregnant, but it did have its drawbacks. Aeris made a face, contemplating getting up to get some tea. If the planet wanted her to reproduce, it could at least make things easier for her. Her nausea lasted most of the day, and mint tea was about the only thing that helped. Not that she minded mint tea, but Aeris was getting a little tired of it at this point. And unfortunately, you couldn't beat nausea with a stick.<p>

* * *

><p>Five days of traveling together proved to be Aeris' breaking point. They had just settled into camp for the night, and Cloud has pushed her too far. He was once again trying to convince her that Sephiroth was just tricking her and hadn't changed at all. It wasn't anything Aeris hadn't heard before from him. And she was tired of it. She was tried of being treated like she wasn't capable of taking care of herself or making her own decisions. It made her unhappy and tense and just a little bit queasy at times.<p>

Gripping her staff a little tighter, Aeris smiled at him. "All right, Cloud. Are you up to a little sparring practice?"

He blinked, clearly startled by her change of subject, but shrugged. Aeris' smile widened. The others had started to take notice. It was easy to see that Cloud was simply humoring her. It seemed he had forgotten that Aeris knew how to hold her own in fight. It took five simple moves for Aeris knock him ass over tea kettle into the nearby stream. Aeris grinned and leaned against her staff.

"I guess you forgot that I can take care of myself, Cloud. You don't have to like the decisions I make, but they're mine to make. You're going to have to accept that."

Then she turned and stalked to her tent, hoping that Cloud had gotten the message.

* * *

><p>It had been quite a satisfying experience in truth, though it did take another few days before it really sunk in for Cloud. Cloud and Sephiroth did get on better these days. They probably would never be friends, but at least Cloud wasn't actively trying to either kill or discredit Sephiroth any more. Still, it was probably a good thing that they didn't live in the same town. Especially, now that she was pregnant. She had almost thought Cloud was going to have a stroke when they told him. She rest a hand on her stomach with a smile.<p>

"Aeris?" Sephiroth's voice called.

"I'm in the study."

He appeared in the doorway moments later, a mug in his hand.

"Feeling all right?"

She just shrugged. "Just the typical nausea."

"I brought you more tea."

Sephiroth kissed her cheek and handed her fresh cup of tea. Aeris just sighed, completely content for the moment. That mission had probably been the most frustrating three weeks of Aeris' life, but she really couldn't argue with the end results. Even if there were times when she still felt she needed to knock someone into a stream.


	20. A Messy Kitchen Is a Happy Kitchen

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set after the game and is AU. Theme 12: Devastation.

* * *

><p><strong>A Messy Kitchen Is a Happy Kitchen<strong>

Sephiroth knew that something was up the moment he stepped into the house. He might have spent the last week tracking down a monster that had been attacking some of the outlying farms. He hadn't been especially worried about leaving his family on their own, but now he was beginning to wonder if he should have had some one check on them while he was gone. There was a mildly familiar smell in the air which only meant one thing. Aeris had been baking.

To be completely fair, Aeris could cook. In fact, she could cook quite well. However, baking was another story. Aeris could not bake at all. Her attempts tended to fail spectacularly. And their daughter had apparently inherited this tendency as well. Sephiroth suddenly realized that he'd left the two of them alone with the kitchen for a week. He began to worry. Still, if the giggles were any indication, at the very least the two of them had had a good time.

He was not surprised to find them in the kitchen, the two of them bent over a cookie sheet. The kitchen surrounding them was a certified disaster area. In fact, it was hard to believe there was a kitchen underneath this mess. There was flour everywhere. The sink was filled with a various assortment of bowls, cooking utensils, and other dishes. The counters were strewn with ingredients and more dishes. There were racks of partially burnt cookies covering the kitchen table as well as a bowl of something green that looked like it was supposed to be frosting. It looked like a battle zone, and Sephiroth would say that the kitchen had lost. Not surprising when it was up against both Aeris and Raisa.

"Do I want to know what happened in here?" he asked.

Both of his girls looked up, turning two identical smiles were in his direction.

"Daddy!"

Moments later his arms were full of a giggling six year old. Raisa was her mother's spitting image in everything except for her hair. She had inherited his silver hair, though Raisa wore hers short in a pixie cut. It was a fitting look for the girl. Raisa had been able to find mischief to get into seemingly from the moment she was born. And when the various children of AVALANCHE gathered on occasion, it was always Raisa who was the ringleader of any trouble that occurred.

Aeris sighed. "We were trying to make cookies. They didn't exactly turn out the way they were supposed to."

His daughter grinned up at him. Sephiroth sighed, but he couldn't help smiling as well. It was going to take forever to clean up this mess. Hopefully, he could salvage the kitchen. He perched his daughter on his hip. Raisa pressed a kiss to his cheek. It was going to take several hours of work, buckets of water, and probably a minor miracle to clean up this devastation. Still, somehow, Sephiroth didn't mind given the smiles on the faces of his girls.


	21. Secret Garden

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is set before the game. Theme 21: Diving for Treasure.

* * *

><p><strong>Secret Garden<strong>

He had been feeling restless when he set out. It happened sometimes. When SOLDIER wasn't out on missions and there was little more than paperwork to do, Sephiroth often found that he grew restless and needed to get away from the ShinRa Building and work. Sometimes he let Zack drag him off some place or went spent time with the Turks. They were always entertaining. But sometimes he just needed to go off on his own. So Sephiroth had dressed as unobtrusively as possible and set out into the depths of Midgar.

There had been no set goal or major intention behind the trip. He had just needed to get away and wander. So when he stumbled across the old church in the slums, he wasn't expecting it. From the outside, the building didn't really seem that special. There were plenty of dilapidated houses of worship littering the slums. Inside, however, was a completely different story.

In truth, Sephiroth doesn't know what made him step inside. The view immediately overwhelmed him. It was an oasis of green in the depths of Midgar. Flowerbeds covered the floor of the church, creating a carpet of green dotted with bright colors. There was a variety of flowers in all stages of bloom. It was an amazing sight. Sephiroth was amazed by what had been accomplished here.

The fact that there were plants growing everywhere he looked had distracted him at first from the fact that he was not alone in the building. Of course, the other person hadn't noticed him yet either. The girl knelt amidst the plants, humming to herself as she worked. The faint sunlight that had worked its way into the slums kissed her hair and almost gave her a halo. It was fitting. She had worked miracles here. It took some sort of incredible talent to grow things here. And for them to flourish this way was even more unbelievable.

The girl looked up from her work, finally noticing him, smiled. "Hello. Can I help you?"

He shook his head. "This is amazing."

"Thank you. You're welcome to look around."

There was a sense of peace here. It was not a perfect place. There were pools of muddy water on the ground, and it is the slums. But this little garden also transcened that to a point. It was like hidden gem. A treasure found in the darkest depths of the ocean. He hadn't intended to find this place, but Sephiroth had the feeling that he would come back here.


	22. Tossing a Stone

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set before the game. Theme 2: Making Ways.

* * *

><p><strong>Tossing a Stone<strong>

Vincent had come to several decisions over the course of the sleepless night. Ever since he had learned that that Lucrecia was four months pregnant, he had been warring with himself over several issues. For one thing, given the timing of the pregnancy, there was very good chance that Lucrecia's child was not Hojo's. It was his. For another, Vincent had spent quite a bit of time thinking about his relationship with Lucrecia, and he had come to the realization that the two of them had both made mistakes.

He had also come to the conclusion that they could either let those mistakes rule them or they could move on with their lives. Vincent had decided that he was not willing to let their past ruin their future. This was their child at stake, and Hojo would never get his hands on him. Hojo wasn't fit to even be in the same room as a child, let alone act as a father to one. And he was not about to let Hojo destroy Lucrecia simply because she felt guilty about what had happened to Vincent. Because in the end, Vincent was entirely sure that the scientist would destroy just about everything he touched.

And once he had made the decision to do something about the whole situation, Vincent started planning. Luckily, the Turks were on his side. This was useful for a number of reasons. It also helped that what he was planning might disrupt Hojo's plans to some extent, but for the most part, ShinRa was not going to care. The company had seen enough of Hojo's pet projects fall through in rather disastrous ways to be too invested in one before it showed actual results.

The hardest part would likely be convincing Lucrecia to go along with his plan. She seemed hell bent on punishing herself for her own perceived guilt. And while Vincent could understand her feelings, he found that he did not care so much about their past any more. He loved her too much to just let her go, and he would protect her, even if it was from herself. Letting Hojo experiment on both her and her unborn child was a disaster waiting to happen, even if Lucrecia did not realize it yet.

So he was going to kidnap the love of his life and their unborn child and run off with them. Hopefully, she would not kill him afterwards.

* * *

><p>Lucrecia stared at him with wide eyes. She had to admit that she had had a number of dreams and day dreams about Vincent Valentine coming back into her life. This was not one of the situations for that that she had imagined. Perched beside her bed like some sort of vampire bat. She blinked, trying to gather her thoughts. Ever since Hojo had started the Jenova cell treatments, the pregnancy had been more and more exhausting, and she founded it hard to shake off lethargy in the morning. Though she was not exactly sure that it was morning right now.<p>

"Vincent? What are you doing here?"

He gathered her up in his arms. "Argue with me later. We are going for a little trip."

It was not long before the two of them were at a little all night café some where on the plate. There were barely any patrons, but Vincent still escorted her to a small table in the back, half hidden from most of the shop. He sat her down in one of the chairs. And then Vincent, normally a man of few words, talked. He told her that he knew she was carrying his child, not Hojo's. He told her how worried he was about the way she kept getting weaker and more exhausted after every Jenova cell treatment. And he told her that he did not care about what had happened in the past. That he wanted a future with her, and he would have trouble living with himself if he did not take the chance and try to change the current circumstances.

She had not realized he had figured out that she was not carrying Hojo's child but his. Lucrecia mulled over his words and bit her lip. She did love Vincent. She just worried that their shared past might make a happy future impossible. He took her hands in his and held her gaze.

"I love you too much to let you do this to yourself. We've both made mistakes. We can't let them rule us though." He cupped her cheek. "I'm not going to let him hurt either of you. But if you really want to walk away, I will let you. But only if it is because that is what you want, not what you think you should do or what you think you deserve."

She met his eyes. "Okay. So where are we going to go?"

* * *

><p>The baby had bright green eyes and tufts of silver hair. There had been some lingering side effects from Hojo's experiments, as evidenced by the hair, but the child seemed healthy enough. Lucrecia was exhausted, but she was healthy enough. She had recovered most of her strength and energy once the treatments of Jenova cells had stopped. Both she and their son were going to be just fine.<p>

"Will you tell me the name you chose now?" he asked as he placed their son in Lucrecia's arms.

She smiled up at him. "Sephiroth."

Vincent smiled back at her and kissed her forehead. He would not give up his family. Not now. Not ever.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, they weren't the only ones who needed to get away from Hojo. Off and on, others were sent their direction in need of help creating a new life out from under the eyes of Hojo. Mostly it was the Turks who sent them people when they felt that Hojo was once again creating a situation that was going to backfire on ShinRa. So seven years later, Vincent was not surprised when Professor Gast and a very pregnant woman stood on their doorstep. Though he was not expecting the young woman to go into labor moments after they had been shown inside.<p>

However, thirteen hours later, Professor Gast and his new wife had a little baby girl whom they had named Aeris.

Sephiroth peered at the new baby who smiled up at him. "I like her."

And like ripples spreading through a pond, the future changed.


	23. Shared Understanding

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is slightly AU and set during the game. Theme 22: The Deep End.

* * *

><p><strong>Shared Understanding<strong>

It does not exactly surprise Aeris when their paths crossed. It seemed like something that the planet might arrange. Aeris had known that the path she had chosen would lead to her death from the start. She had not shared that with others in AVALANCHE. Part of her did not think they would understand, and part of her didn't want them to change the way that they treated her. Still, when she set off on her own, she knew that the end was near. Running into Sephiroth along the way was simply the planet's way of letting them both make their peace with the end of things. Sephiroth seemed surprised to see her. Then again, he seemed rather surprised to even be here. Aeris would guess this was the first time he had been out from under Jenova's control in a long time.

Aeris offered him a gentle smile. "You're you right now. Jenova can't touch you here. Don't ask me how. I don't know. The planet is responsible, but it is only temporary."

"You should leave." He told her, his expression stoic. "As soon as she is back, I will kill you."

Aeris shook her head. "No. It won't make any difference in the end. I can't run away from this."

"I cannot change your fate then."

"I know what will happen. Sephiroth, my fate was decided long ago." Aeris shook her head with a soft smile. "There isn't any other way this could happen. It's not your fault any more than it is mine. Neither of us can run from our fates now."

And Sephiroth couldn't change things any more than Aeris could. There would have been a time that they could have been something, but neither of them had known at that time, and the opportunities to change the future had been missed. For now all they could be was companions on this part of their journey. They walked together in silence for awhile.

Finally, the stream they were following reached a place where the trees began to thin, and Aeris could see the vague shape of city in the distance. It was time for them to go their separate ways, she knew. From the look on Sephiroth's face, he knew as well. They stood facing one another for a moment in silence before he moved.

He kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, Aeris."

"Goodbye, Sephiroth." She smiled. "I want you to know that I forgive you. You have no choice, and neither have I. I'll see you after the end."

She watched him disappear before squaring her shoulders and continuing towards her own fate.


	24. A Learning Experience

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set before the game. Theme 25: Doggy Style.

* * *

><p><strong>A Learning Experience<strong>

Vincent had decided that this had been a set up from the start. At first it had seemed like a small thing, taking the children to the beach so Lucrecia and Ilfalna had a day off to themselves. Even the news that Gast was too involved with his current research to be able to come along had not thrown up a warning flag at first. A day with two children at the beach did not sound that trying or exhausting. He had been wrong about that for the most part. He had absolutely no idea where those two got all their energy. Still it probably could have been far worse.

Sephiroth almost always kept Aeris in his field of vision. The two children were very close, and Sephiroth had always been protective of her. There might be a seven year difference between the two, but that hardly affected the strength of their bond. Which was just as well. At four years of age, Aeris was interested in everything, and it took both Sephiroth and Vincent to keep her safe and sound.

Vincent sighed and settled down onto the blanket he'd spread out for the three of them to use. It was a calm, sheltered beach, and there not that many other people around. It was a good day to visit the beach, and both Sephiroth and Aeris seemed fascinated by the ocean. Sephiroth already knew how to swim thankfully, so that was not a big worry. Aeris could do something that resembled a doggy paddle, but Vincent kept a close eye on her whenever she ventured near the water's edge.

Speaking of which, Aeris was now in front of him, trying to pull him to his feet.

Sephiroth smiled. "We're going to bury you in the sand."

Vincent was mildly concerned by this statement. He did not exactly think he was in danger from the two children, but he had been a Turk too long not to have his mind immediately jump to the worst possible reason when hearing that particular statement. Though as it turned out, burying him in the sand did not hold their interest for long. After burying his feet, Aeris abandoned the endeavor as boring, kissed his cheek, and went off to build a sandcastle with Sephiroth following her.

After lunch, Aeris napped on the beach towel. Sephiroth was wandering down the beach in the surf. Feeling rather exhausted himself, Vincent sat next Aeris and kept an eye on his son while Aeris slept. They were both happy children. Vincent did not like to think about what could have happened had they not escaped from Hojo. The idea of either child being a part of that man's experiments bothered Vincent a great deal. And it concerned him even more that the man was still out there. But both Aeris and Sephiroth were safe for now, and even if Vincent had not been prepared for just how much work taking them to the beach was, he was enjoying his day with them both. Besides, next time the ladies wanted a day off, he'd make Gast take the children to the zoo.


	25. Lily of the Valley, Bluebells, Snowdrops

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU. Theme 16: White Flag.

* * *

><p><strong>Lily of the Valley, Bluebells, Snowdrops, and Violets<strong>

He stumbled across her in the conservatory. It was one of Sephiroth's favored places for reading in the winter, and very few students tended to frequent it. When he found someone else there, Sephiroth took notice. Especially since she was hard to miss. The young woman was wearing jeans and a bright pink t-shirt, and she was up to her elbows in dirt planting some sort of flower. She was also singing to herself. Spotting him, she waved cheerily but left him alone.

That was the sum of the interaction, but for some reason she stuck in his mind. Both her smile and her green eyes stuck in his memory. The second time he met her Sephiroth ended up rescuing her. Admittedly, it was not that dire of a situation, but it wasn't exactly in character for him either. He had spotted the young woman heading towards the conservatory, her arms full of various potted plants. There had also been several young men hanging around. They clearly weren't helping her with her burdens, and there were signs of tension around her eyes and her mouth.

Sephiroth had decided to intervene. He was not sure what was going on, but he didn't think he liked it. All it really took to shoo the young puppies away was his presence as it turned out. As it turned out, they had been pressing her to go to a frat party that she was clearly not interested in. Sephiroth simply moved to intercept the young woman and hold open the conservatory door for her.

The student offered him a shy smile. "Thank you. I appreciate the help, Professor?"

"Sephiroth Valentine."

"Aeris. I'm a biology major with a specialty in botany. One of my lab's this term is basically working here. I'm a scholarship student, and I take my class work rather seriously. Unfortunately, not all of my classmates get that, and I haven't been able to convince them that I'm not a party girl."

The she surprised him by leaning in and kissing his cheek. "Thank you again, Professor."

Aeris went about her work getting the plants in the ground, and Sephiroth headed off to his own class. He found a potted orchid on his desk the next morning. Sephiroth frowned at the plant. She had left him a thank you note as well as instructions on care for the plant. The white orchid was lovely, and it appeared to be easy enough to care for. It only needed to be watered about once a month. Sephiroth installed the plant in his office and did not think much more of it.

He did end up striking up a conversation with Aeris the next time he ran into her in the university's conservatory. Surprisingly, they seemed to have a great deal in common. She also appeared to be much more intelligent than most of his regular students, and Sephiroth quickly found that he enjoyed her company. He appreciated her practical nature, and her optimism did not seem to grate on him like other people's. Within two months of that second meeting, they were fast friends. Even if she still had the habit of calling him Professor instead of his name.

It was a very good thing that she would most likely never be in any of his classes. Sephiroth had put up the white flag of surrender and admitted to himself that he had fallen for Aeris. It would have been unethical to get involved with one of his own students or a student in his own department. However, he was not even in the same college as the biology faculty, and a relationship with Aeris would have absolutely no impact on her academic career for the most part.

He found her today amidst a stand of late winter, early spring flowers. It was clear from the trowel beside her and the pile of weeds just what she had been doing. Sephiroth cleared his throat so not to startle her.

"Professor?" She looked up as she finished packing up her tools.

"Sephiroth," he corrected. "I was wondering if you would be interested in dinner?"

She smiled at him and took his offered hand. "That sounds lovely."

Together, they left the conservatory, their relationship like the flowers just starting to really bloom.


	26. A Place of Rest

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU. Theme 27: Spray.

* * *

><p><strong>A Place of Rest<strong>

Sephiroth woke in a strange bed. He knew immediately that this was not his tent or his cot. The last thing he remembered before passing out was a pair of green eyes, so someone must have brought him here. Deciding to find out where here was, he opened his eyes. He was alone in the room. It looked to be some sort of cottage. It was wooden and well built but simple in design. The bed he was laying was actually built into the wall and had curtains that you could close for warmth. There was a window in one of the walls. The various furniture and furnishings were all simple but well made and sturdy. This was clearly someone's home.

Of course, that did not explain what he was doing here or why some one had bandaged and treated his wounds. Quite frankly, the general had not expected to wake up in the first place. He had known he was badly injured, and he wasn't expecting to survive those injuries when he passed out. He had been ambushed as he traveled back to the capitol. The one thing he had been relieved by was it had been just a small group; they had been traveling quickly at the king's summons. That meant that his army and most of his men should be safe and sound.

It did not surprise Sephiroth that he had been attack. He wasn't exactly a popular person. He was a very good general, and his campaigns of late had left any number of very unhappy defeated behind. There had been attempts to kill him throughout this war and before it. Someone trying to kill him was not surprising. Someone who was not one of his men rescuing him and taking care of his injuries was. Then again, it was possible that one of those traveling with him had survived the ambush, but Sephiroth would have expected the man to be here when he woke up.

Movement in the doorway caught his attention, and Sephiroth squinted to see the figure with the sunlight behind them.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?"

The young woman stepped forward out of the light even as she spoke. Sephiroth recognized her green eyes. He took a moment to study her before replying. The young woman was quite pretty. Long chestnut hair gathered back in a thick braid framed her face. Her eyes he remembered in part de to their emerald color. She was dressed quite practically in a brown with a linen blouse and an apron that covered both. She was younger than him by at least five years. Her air was completely nonthreatening.

"Sore. Tired. Hungry."

"That's to be expected. You've been doing quite a bit of healing. How is the pain?"

Sephiroth frowned at that question, realizing that the pain was much less than he expected. "Tolerable."

"Good. Let me know if it gets worse."

"Where am I?"

"My home." She tilted her head to the side. "It's probably about a mile or two away from where you were attacked. I'll get you a bowl of stew, and then you should probably rest some more. You're only about halfway healed, and it will be at least another few days before you can really be up and around."

Despite her youth, she spoke with the same confidence of a master healer, and Sephiroth saw no reason to doubt her. As she turned to leave the room, he realized that he had yet to learn who she was.

"Who are you?"

She paused in the doorway. "Aeris."

The next few days settled into a regular pattern. Sephiroth would wake at random intervals, and Aeris would bring him a meal, and then he would fall asleep again. That wasn't entirely unexpected. He didn't quite know how she had managed to save his life. Sephiroth had known that he was very badly injured in the attack. Yet now while he was fairly weak, he was also in far better shape than he would have expected. So either he had slept for a month or Aeris was capable of pulling off miracles. There were very few healers that could successfully heal such injuries without killing themselves in the process.

It wouldn't exactly surprise him if Aeris was capable of that though. There was far more to his little healer than appeared at first glance. She was young, and she lived alone. He had since learned from her that they were about a mile into the forest. The nearest village was half a day's walk away from her little cottage, and Aeris only visited there on occasion or due to an emergency. However, she knew the woods around her home intimately, and clearly knew a great deal of plant lore. She used her healing gift and herb lore about equally when it came to healing. For all that she often chatted with him as he ate his meals, she never revealed anything about her past or her upbringing. She never talked about who or what she might have been before coming to live here. He did know that she made her living as a healer and from what the forest provided. It was rare though for her to have patients at her home, but it happened on occasion. All in all, she made an interesting puzzle of contradictions.

A week after he first woke, Aeris finally lets him out of bed for more than just a few minutes. Sephiroth is still weak and his steps were slightly unsteady, but it was good to be out of bed. Life settled into a new routine. Aeris set small tasks for him to do while she went about her daily business. They were mostly things that he could easily manage at this stage of his recovery, though every once in awhile there was something that challenged him. Their evenings were typically spent in peaceful camaraderie. Aeris often told stories or sang, and sometimes she even coaxed him to tell stories of his own. He enjoyed her company, which was a little unusual for him. Sephiroth had always been rather aloof and apart from others both by choice and because of his position as a military leader.

But with Aeris he was comfortable, and it felt as if he belonged here. It helped that she did not demand anything of his behavior other than what would be expected of any other person who you shared a home with. They shared the chores about equally now, though Aeris still insisted that he do no heavy lifting or strenuous work. And as he felt stronger, he also had a chance to explore Aeris' home. The little cottage was built in a glade. There was a stream running through it, tumbling down from a rocky outcropping. It could not quite be called a waterfall, but it produced a misty spray as well as a rather soothing sound. Beside the house was quite an extensive garden which a variety of plants from flowers to herbs to vegetables. Aeris clearly spent a great deal of time there, and it was clear it was one of the reasons she was so self sufficient.

This afternoon he could hear her singing as she worked in the garden. Wandering out to join her, Sephiroth settled on the bench nearby and simply watched her work. The bench, like many other items around the cottage had been a gift from one of her former patients. It suddenly occurred to him that she had neither left the area since he had become her patient nor had she had any other patients that he knew off.

"Do you need to go check on your other patients? I'm sure I can manage a few days on my own."

Aeris smiled, shaking her head. "Those who need me typically find me. If there is an emergency, they will send for me. But if I am out here instead in a village or a town, I won't be bothered with every little trifling problem that comes up. There are plenty of others who can deal with the basic medial problems, and I'm happier living here than in a town some place."

Sephiroth could understand that. There was peace here. Between the isolation and the nature surrounding them, there was a calm that Sephiroth had not had in many years. For the first time in years he did not have to constantly be General Sephiroth. There were not a dozen different things that he needed to be doing. Sephiroth would admit that he was tired. Being military might be all he knew, but he had spent years conquering the surrounding lands for the king. In truth, he was tired of it. And now that the wars were over and all of the surrounding land had been conquer, Sephiroth was not sure what came next, either for himself or for the famous General Sephiroth. He certainly didn't know what the king had planned for him, but it was all to easy to cast aside tool once they had ceased to be useful. Sephiroth had seen the king do so time and again.

He sighed. "How long before I am well enough to travel?"

Aeris came and stood before him with a soft smile. "You don't have to leave until you're ready to. If you are ever ready to. I don't mind the company. In fact, "

He cupped her face in his hands. "Thank you."

Then he leaned in and kissed her. He still did not know what his future would hold, but for now he was at peace, and he knew he had time to make his own decisions.


	27. Soul of Steel

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU and set during the game. Theme 28: About Face.

* * *

><p><strong>Soul of Steel<strong>

Sephiroth was fairly certain he was either dead, insane, or possessed. He wasn't sure which. What he did know was he hadn't acted like himself in quite awhile, and he hadn't had complete control over his actions either. It had been like watching a movie at times. Other times, it was like operating under the influence of drugs. And all of the time he could hear Jenova whispering in his mind.

At least until he ran into the girl in the forest. He knew who she was. She had been with Strife's group, and Jenova seriously wanted her dead. Sephiroth could not puzzle out the reasons for the last. The girl was a competent fighter, and she was one of the stronger magic users in the group, but Sephiroth doubted that he would have much trouble with her in a fight. He hadn't expected to run across her here and without the rest of Strife's group, but here she was.

She too looked startled. Then a strange expression crossed her face, and she did something completely unexpected. Her entire expression determined, she reached out and grabbed his hand. The next thing that Sephiroth knew he was awash in green light, flowing over him like water, and for the first time in years, his mind was silent save for his own thoughts. Jenova's insidious voice was gone. Sephiroth found himself calm and at peace.

"Sephiroth?"

The soft voice made him open his eyes. A pair of green eyes met his own. His face was now cupped in her hands, and her expression was soft.

"How?" He gasped out.

She calmly met his gaze. "Any voices now?"

He shook his head.

"Good." She leaned in and kissed his forehead before letting go of him. "The planet thought that it was possible.

Sephiroth took a deep breath. He felt completely like himself for the first time in ages. "Thank you."

"It's not over yet." Her voice was sad. "Jenova is still a threat even without you as her pawn. And you won't be completely safe from her influence until she is defeated. I should be able to protect you from that as long as we are in physical contact. Or you can choose to run as far away from her as you can, and if you're lucky, you'll be able to hide from her until we've dealt with her."

Sephiroth considered that a moment. He wasn't exactly adverse to joining that fight. He figured that he owed Jenova payback for the mess she had made of his life and his reputation. But there were some problems with that as well. What he had done in the past was not likely to be forgotten, and Strife was more likely to kill him than to let him aide his team.

"So how are we going to explain this about face to your friends?" he asked.

The young woman's face turned determined again, and she twined her fingers with his. "Leave that to me."

Sephiroth had no doubt that she could manage it, and he would follow her. And this time he had a choice in the matter.


	28. Adrift

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU. Theme 30: Floating.

* * *

><p><strong>Adrift<strong>

With a content little sigh, Aeris sipped at her drink. This vacation was doing her a world of good. She was quite comfortable ensconced on a float in the swimming pool. The sunshine was warm, and there was just enough of a breeze that she didn't over heat. Her fruity drink had an umbrella in it, and for once, there was nothing pressing that Aeris needed to deal with. She was definitely glad that Elena had mentioned this trip to her. The chance to relax and get away from it all was completely worth it.

It had been a crazy year in more ways than one. Aeris was rather pleased with most of the results, but that didn't mean that it had been easy or simple. She had gone from a recent graduate barely eking out a living to running Midgar's new green spaces program complete with designing and implementing gardens, parks, and other green spaces throughout the city. She'd had a crazed stalker, gotten in a high speed car chase, and had acquired a significant other rather unexpectedly.

Her friends were still coming to terms with her new relationship. There was bad blood there, mostly on Cloud's side, and most of them didn't really approve of Aeris' new boyfriend. But Aeris was happy with Sephiroth, and she was the one who was dating him. The others would just have to get used to it. She loved her job. And now she had fallen in love. It had definitely been a crazy year, and running off to a resort with her boyfriend and Elena and Tseng had proved to been a break that she had needed. Of course, Elena had disappeared off somewhere with Tseng. Two days ago.

Not that Aeris minded that. She was finding that spending her days doing mostly nothing except laying on the beach or lounging around the pool was rather lovely. And Sephiroth seemed to agree. They had done some touristy things as well, but for the most part they had just relaxed. It was rather novel for them both not to have some sort of crisis going on.

The float shifted slightly, and Aeris glanced to the side to find her boyfriend standing in the water beside her. As he was six feet tall, the deep end of swimming pool didn't exactly hinder him.

"What do you think about going out to lunch and swinging by the botanical gardens we heard about yesterday?"

Aeris considered the idea. It sounded like a good way to spend the afternoon to her.

"Sure."

Sephiroth stole a kiss. "Sounds like a plan then. I'll met you in the lobby in an hour then? That should give us time to shower and change."

Aeris nodded. He went back to swimming laps, and Aeris closed her eyes. For the moment, all was right in her world. And Aeris was happy with that.


	29. Treading Water

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU. Theme 11: Shipwrecked.

* * *

><p><strong>Treading Water<strong>

This was a disaster. Sephiroth surveyed the wreckage around him and considered himself lucky that he was only injured. As far as he could tell, most of the others in the ShinRa transport had not been so fortunate. He had been going through what was left of the transport after the storm and the crash for almost ten minutes now, and he had yet to find any survivors. At least there hadn't been too many people on board. It had been a small transport, and other than the crew, there had only been a handful of passengers on board.

A soft noise caught his attention, and Sephiroth investigated further into the wreckage. He found her in the hold area, struggling to get out from under a large piece of metal. The girl was not someone he would have expected to be on board. She looked like a drowned rat with masses of wet auburn sticking up every which way. The girl had vivid green eyes that widened when she saw him.

"Are you all right?"

She hesitated a moment before answering. "Just stuck."

It didn't take him much work to get the girl free. She bit her lip before offering. "Aeris Gainsbourgh."

"Sephiroth. But you knew that."

She nodded.

"What were you doing on the transport?"

Aeris sighed. "I was being taken to one of Hojo's labs."

That explained quite a bit. Sephiroth sighed. "I'm not about to turn you over to Hojo. Even when we do get back to civilization. We need to see what we can salvage, and see if there are any other survivors."

Aeris nodded. Then she frowned slightly.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

At his nod, she stepped closer.

"Let me."

She pressed her hand against his side. Moments later he was completely healed. She offered him a small smile before beginning to pick the wreckage. They were the only ones to survive. But the pair of them did manage to cobble together a campsite. Sephiroth got a fire started and Aeris came up with a number of local plants to supplement the meager rations they'd found.

"They're not poisonous." She smiled. "I know something about plants."

The girl was sensible, he'd give her that. So far she had managed to prove herself useful, both in scrounging useful items from the wreck and finding water and food. She also made him feel oddly protective. It was probably the fact that she had been bound for Hojo's labs. Sephiroth wouldn't wish being one of that man's test subjects on anyone. It also helped that Aeris was a rather interesting person. She didn't seem at all afraid of him now. Or even wary. It was rare for Sephiroth to simply be treated as just another person. Most people treated him with respect and fear. Mostly fear unless they were under his command.

As dark fell they sat across from one another beside the fire. Sephiroth studied the petite young woman carefully as the firelight kissed her face. She had proved both sensible and strong, both in surviving the shipwreck and in pulling her weight as they worked to create their campsite. He didn't know why Hojo had wanted her, and so far, she hadn't offered that information, but Sephiroth rather thought he liked her. Noticing her shiver, he patted the driftwood log he was sitting on.

"Come here. I won't bite. We might as well share warmth."

She settled beside him, and before long she had snuggled up to him for warmth. It startled him at first, but it was comfortable, and she provided extra warmth that he appreciated. It was going to take some doing to get them back to civilization, but Sephiroth could think of worse people to be stuck with.


	30. Touchstones

Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU. Theme 10: Anchor. A special thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story.

* * *

><p><strong>Touchstones<strong>

Soft chimes sounded as soon as he opened the door. Sephiroth smiled as he spotted Aeris amongst the greenery. Triada Florist was a small store tucked in between two much larger buildings, and it appeared even smaller on the inside due to all of the plants that filled the space. It was neat and organized despite the small space and the fact that it was completely stuffed with flowers. Aeris smiled at him from behind the counter.

"Good afternoon Sephiroth. What can I do for you today?"

He smiled at her. "I'm just avoiding the daily attempt of my secretary to acquire a date. Anything interesting today?"

She shook her head. "I've got a shipment of new flowers coming in later today, but so far it's been a quite day."

The pair of them chatted amiably about the weather and recent events. Sephiroth relaxed as they talked. Aeris was one of the few people that vice president of ShinRa Inc. truly felt comfortable being himself with. She was a petite little thing. Bright green eyes and masses of chestnut hair, typically worn in a braid. Her hands were busy as they talked, deftly creating a flower arrangement. Sephiroth had ducked into her shop in an attempt to avoid a rather persistent co-worker who didn't understand that a lunch break was for taking a break from work, and the two had quickly hit it off.

It had become habit to drop in on Aeris' shop on a regular basis, and she had become one of his anchors. Aeris he could always count on to be sane even when those he worked with weren't, and she had both a practical nature and a sense of humor that Sephiroth appreciated. His visits were often his only spot of sanity in the day. Over the past few months they had become good friends, and Sephiroth would admit that they were dating even if neither of them had explicating called their relationship that. He was reluctant to leave the sanctuary of the florist shop, but eventually he had to return to his desk.

But it wasn't long before he was back at Triada Florist. His next lunch break saw him back at Aeris' shop, though this time Sephiroth wasn't alone.

Aeris looked up from the flower arrangement and grinned at the two men who had just entered. "What can I do for you gentlemen today?"

Sephiroth clapped Tseng on the shoulder. "My friend here needs a bouquet or two."

Aeris raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Tseng needs to apologize to a lady."

"I'm sure we can manage that. Tell me about the girl. And why you need to apologize to her."

She deftly put together a small arrangement as Tseng hesitantly explained about Elena. When she was done, Aeris handed him a delicate bouquet of larkspur, lavender, heather, and hyacinth displayed in a tall vase with a scattering of blue glass in the bottom. After carefully topping off the water in the vase, Aeris handed the bouquet to Tseng with a smile.

"I think this should do. As long as you actually bother to tell her why you got her the flowers in the first place. There's nothing worse than getting mixed messages."

Tseng thanked her and paid for the flowers before wandering out of the store, looking rather dazed. Aeris just grinned at Sephiroth.

"I take it that Elena is the rookie he's been training?"

Sephiroth nodded. "She's a full member of the team as of last week. So, he's no longer her teacher, and he won't be the one doing her evaluations."

"Ah." Aeris began work on another flower arrangement.

"Dinner tonight?" Sephiroth asked.

Aeris flashed him a bright smile. "That sounds lovely. Would seven o'clock work?"

"I'll see you then."

Sephiroth was more than ready to escape the office by the time evening rolled around. He found Aeris closing up shop when he arrived.

"Ready to go?" Sephiroth leaned in and kissed her.

She tucked an orchid in his breast pocket. "All set."

Aeris locked up the shop, and with her hand in his, the two set off for dinner.


End file.
